SOUTH WAZIRISTAN: A special desk has been established at the Angoor Adda border crossing in Lower South Waziristan district to ensure safe return of the 366 Pakistani nationals stranded in Afghanistan, according to a statement issued on Monday from the office of the deputy commissioner.

When contacted, deputy commissioner Mohammad Nasir Khan said that Pakistani nationals stranded in Afghanistan could enter Pakistan by showing their national identity cards to authorities at the border.

He added that those Pakistanis, who were willing to go to Afghanistan, could do so by getting their identity cards from Nadra. He further said that the district administration and military officials would help people get the cards at the earliest.

Meanwhile, tribesmen have been continuing a protest sit-in at the Angoor Ada border crossing for past six months demanding of the authorities to exempt four local tribes of visa and passport restrictions to go to Afghanistan.

Officials said the months-long sit-in affected the business activities in the area.

The protesters said the locals didn’t have electric supply and other basic amenities. They said government schools and hospitals were lying dysfunctional.

SALARY DEMANDED: Employees of Tehsil Headquarters Hospital, Moley Khan Sarai, observed a strike on Monday against non-payment of salary for last six months.

The protesting employees, including doctors and paramedical staff, locked the hospital, run by a non-government organisation — Medical Emergency Resilience Foundation (MERF) — demanding release of their pending salary.

The protesters said their salary had been stopped during the tenure of the caretaker government. They demanded of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister and the finance department to release salary without delay.

Patients suffered due to the strike, which shut various departments of the hospital.

Medical superintendent Dr Naveed Khan said the provincial government had to pay a liability of Rs102.22 million to the hospital’s administration for payment of salary. He said he had repeatedly sent letters to the finance department, seeking funds, but in vain. Dr Naveed said some senior doctors had resigned over non-payment of salary, adding still there were around 50 employees, who had been unpaid for last six months.

Upper South Waziristan district health officer Shams Dawar said he had written letters to the authorities concerned, demanding release of funds for payment of salaries, but to no avail.

Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2024